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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · scale · safe · fork · racket · squash · plane · content

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com